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I went to Sacramento last year. Place was packed! Lots of vendors - really enjoyed seeing everything. Interesting lectures. I think the number of attendees was way more than anticipated. I am looking forward to Reno next week.

ABF Meetings

We attended the ABF In Kentucky and Auston

Kentucky was a good Meeting- very informative and as a vendor for Global Patties- Sales were very good. We left excited and looking forward to Austin.

Austin- was a complete turn around- Several of the meetings were duplicates of the Kentucky meeting and attendance was not as great as Kentucky IMO. Expenses were high since I had to carry heavy product to site. As a vendor for Global Patties- we only sold 1 case of patties from the ton that I carried. We were located away from the entrance and other vendors with simular product were more centrally located --- just luck. That happens sometimes.
-ALTHOUGH I HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED IF YOU LEARN ONE THING NEW IT IS WORTH THE TRIP.

Sacramento was too expensive for us to go, as is the one being held now. I am a small guy trying to sell a few patties and queens to make a living.
Its tough working a full time 50 hour a week job and taking care of the bees.

Sacramento was huge last year. Reno was ok, was about 600 people. Its always nice for us being from Masachusetts to meet some of the "left coasters"
We are really looking forward to Orlando. I hope to see alot of southern beeks.

Attended ABF convention in Norfolk, think it was 1997. Had a great time, spent a ton of money (not as much as my buddy who came home with an extractor though) and would do it again if I could find the time.

Classes were great with everything from candle making to commercial pollination, great chance to meet and talk ( and beeks do talk) with a ton of beeks from around the country. Beekeepers, once you get past the BS part of us, are really a bunch of good old boys and fun to hang out with. Pretty good food. Got kissed by the newly elected honey queen! It was really suprising on how much big money the big guys spent at the Auction, fancy honey, beeswax sculputres and such. Met Stevens from Better Bee, Binford Weaver and Family, the Rossmans. It's something every beekeeper should do once.

I've attended both US national meetings some years. This year I went to neither. They are both great meetings and an opportunity to rub elbows with researchers, extension people and writers, and, of course, other beekeepers. I always figured attending doesn't cost. It pays. It just takes one good idea to make up for the expense.

Of course, state meetings are great, too. I always attend our provincial meeting in Alberta and sometimes go to other provinces as well. I've also been to Iowa and The Empire State meetings. Every one of them was worthwhile -- and lots of fun.

Don't forget EAS and WAS as well. They meet in summer, and in my commercial beekeeping years, that was my busy time. However I went a few years ago in Maine, and have to recommend it highly as well.

For those who have to watch their expenses, there are generally alternate acccomodations around. Although the AFB usually picks an expensive place in the centre of town, the AHPA always has a place with lots of truck parking near an interstate and a few motorhomes and campers can be seen in the parking lot. The programmes are comparable between the AHPA and the ABF, although the ABF caters more to hobbyists and sideliners. EAS has special classes and events for all levels. Any of the meetings has more going on simultaneously than any one person can take in.

...And, don't forget the tradeshow. These meetings all provide an opportunity to meet and talk to your suppliers and the manufactures and inventors of bee equipment.

Lots of beekeeping families make it holiday with the whole family attending. There is something for everyone (although not much for those of pre-school and school age).

The Reno meeting had lots of useful info....especially for me was the cause of so many queens going to drone layers at 6 months. Seems a virus might be a cause...but everything is being blamed on a virus. I went to 20 abf meetings in a row from 1982 until 2002. Missed a couple and have attended the last two. Always learn something. I started with 2 hives in 1977 and would never have survived without all the help I have gotten from other beekeepers. Would have never thought I would be running 800 colonies and moving bees from Ky to Fl to Ca to Fl to Ky to Wi 25 years ago! Meeting next year is in Orlando and only a hour from my Florida yards.